How to Turn Your 26s Into 30s

From personal observation and numerous complaints on the WHAP Class of '18 Facebook group, I can tell that most kids struggle mainly with Interaction on the SPICE Chart and essay questions. This guidebook will discuss common mistakes and effective strategies to approaching both aspects of notes.

Interaction

(1) Environment is not Trade or Cities.

Trade is a solely economic subject; do not write anything about trade routes. Cities are a political subject unless you can provide specific population numbers.

(2)Demography and Disease

Specific population numbers and disease are also extremely helpful.

(3) Migrations

Migrations are only suitable if specific numbers are listed ("90,000 Zainichi Koreans moved to North Korea").

(4)Patterns of Settlement

What geographical details influenced people to settle in a location? Specific numbers also help. For example, the Kolob Canyons' abundance of vegetation and mineral resources encouraged Mormon pioneers to settle there.

(5)Technology

How did technology impact exploitation of natural resources? 

(6) Include Geographic Details

Consider agriculture's effect on terrain or vice versa. Exploitation of other natural resources, such as minerals, is also helpful. For example, if the notes were about South Africa you would put that "Much South Africa land is arid, allowing only a small percentage to be suitable for agriculture" or "Gold, diamonds, and precious minerals are abundant in the northern regions, causing heavy mining there. This causes erosion and contamination of groundwater." Natural disasters work as well.

Essay Questions

(1) Terminology

Explain/How("Explain the importance of geography to an empire's success.")

Level 2. Use analyze or discuss instead. Please.

Compare/Contrast ("Compare and contrast Greek mythology and Platonic philosophy")

Use similarities and differences. The owner of the next set of notes who I see uses "compare and contrast" will get the full force of my disapproval.

Importance ("Analyze the importance of allowing lower class involvement in the government of classical Greece.")

Importance requires opinion and speculation, whereas good essay questions require specific historical evidence.

Change and Continuity

Please use this more often for Big Picture essay questions.

(2) Wordiness

Example: "Analyze the similarities and differences between Religion A and Religion B and examine their effects on society from Year X to Year Z." 

Focus on one body of study. Wordiness reveals two essay questions when there should be only one.

(3) Wrong Specificity, Wrong Area

Example: "Analyze the effects of civil war on the strength of an empire."

Don't solely analyze specific pieces of evidence, you need multiple to answer the essay question. Areas of study should be  specific and based off of the SPICE Chart. Location is key. Take this flawed essay question: what is strength and stability? Which empire? Which civil war? Instead, use specific categories. For example, take this example essay question: "Analyze the impacts of British influence on methods of governance and cultural traditions in Canada from 1800-1900." Methods of governance is key for political

(4) How to Write an Essay Question

Example: Analyze the relationship between cricket and politics in South Asia from 1880 to 2005.

This is an actual essay question from the 2012 test. It incorporates several key elements of an essay question:

(1) Terminology (Analyze)

(2) Type of Essay Question (Syncretism)
See the handout for reference. Comparison deals with similarities and differences. Diffusion deals with exchanges between two elements and Syncretism deals with the formation of a third element from two elements. Big Picture deals with the most important elements during a time period, identifies ways that history changed or stayed the same, and analyzes their significance. Common Phenomena deals with independent inventions shared by two or more societies and how they shaped those societies.

(3) Bodies of Study (cricket, politics)

Bodies of study should be based off of SPICE. Cricket is a cultural game. Politics is what it is.

(4) Location (South Asia)

Location allows depth of understanding. Omitting location is a common mistake and thus warrants elaboration. If South Asia was not the location, we could be talking about cricket in England, Rhodesia, or the entire British Commonwealth.
(5) Time Frame (1880-2005).

Time frame allows depth of understanding. Omitting time frame is another common mistake. For say this essay question did not establish a time frame. Cricket could have had an entirely different political meaning in 1850.

Here is an essay question I wrote:

Analyze the similarities and differences between the fall of the Galactic Republic and that of the Galactic Empire from 22 BBY-11 ABY.

(1) Terminology? Check.
(2) Type of Essay Question: Comparison
(3) Bodies of Study: The falls of the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire
(4) Location: Star Wars universe
(5) Time Frame: 22 BBY-11 ABY (BBY/ABY--Before/After Episode IV)

If our notes were on Star Wars (oh how I wish they were), then this would get full points.

Tips and Warnings:

-Always use the guideline handed out at the beginning of the year.

-Always justify why a certain piece of evidence belongs in a certain category.
-Never label your questions. If you label a question as Big Picture and she judges it as Common Phenomena, your instructor may (will) dock points off your score.
-See previous AP test essay questions if you need help.

-Always check with a junior or your course instructor before submitting your notes!

-Joseph Cho